The Week in Review

Thursday

Aug 30, 2007 at 12:01 AM

With the town’s public schools open, police are asking truckers and motorists to avoid the Chestnut Street bridge reconstruction project to lessen school bus delays.

Sgt. Kevin J. West said the state project, on Chestnut Street (Route 70) near the base of the Wachusett Dam, has reached a point at which traffic will frequently be reduced to one lane. He said work hours will be long, sometimes until dusk

Public Works Superintendent Christopher J. McGown said if the deck is not poured in the early fall, before the cold weather sets in, the project will be delayed for at least six months. If all goes perfectly, Mr. McGown said, the bridge will not be finished until fall 2008.

While Sgt. West said 45-minute traffic delays — and longer — have already been reported near the project, Mr. McGown took a less dismal view, predicting delays of perhaps 5 to 10 minutes.

School Superintendent Gerald M. Gaw said he is not concerned about school bus tie-ups, mainly because the bus runs are during off hours — early morning and mid-afternoon.

An Oak Hill Road couple hopes the Zoning Board of Appeals will grant them variances to erect a 120-foot wind turbine to produce electricity for their home.

Gregory and Mickie Lemay have petitioned for a variance to put up a tower with a turbine mounted on top at 1100 Oak Hill Road. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11.

Mr. Lemay said Friday that they built their dream home to incorporate green elements and they want to put in the wind turbine to save money on electricity.

“There’s a constant wind up here,” he said. The wind speed on the property, which includes a rise, averages 11.4 mph.

David J. Streb, the city’s planning coordinator, said he’ll be watching what happens with the Lemays’ proposal because the city hopes to install a wind turbine to produce power for a water filtration plant.

State and local police continue to investigate what led to a 6-month-old baby’s becoming unresponsive Saturday night.

Timothy J. Connolly, a spokesman for Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr., said Monday the child is in critical condition at UMass Memorial Medical Center — University Campus in Worcester, where she was taken after being found unresponsive at her home at 11 Wright St. Michael McCormick, a spokesman for the state Department of Social Services, said the department was contacted over the weekend concerning the child. He said the department previously had investigated the family to see if the child was being cared for properly.

Police are looking for a man who robbed a TD Banknorth in a supermarket Sunday, fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money, said police Lt. B. Mark Swaine.

A man walked up to the teller in the branch inside Shaw’s Supermarket, and handed her a note that said, “Give me twenties, fifties, hundreds. No fake bills. No traps. Don’t touch the alarm and stay calm or bodies will drop,” Lt. Swaine said.

Despite the threat, no weapon was shown, Lt. Swaine said.

The suspect is described as white, 5 feet 7 inches or 5 feet 8 inches tall, in his late 20s or early 30s and wearing a baseball cap and a T-shirt that said “Springfield Unathletic Department,” with a picture of Homer Simpson lying on a couch, Lt. Swaine said.

The teller handed over money to the suspect, who is believed to have left in a white pickup truck, Lt. Swaine said.

More than two years after allegedly shooting a man in the neck during an attempted robbery, Brandon Aho was in court Monday to face charges in the case that sent one co-defendant to prison.

Marquis Hall, 21, and Ryan M. Hehir, 20, both of Fitchburg, were arrested two days later at an apartment on Milk Street in Fitchburg. Mr. Hall told police Mr. Aho, Mr. Hehir and he had conspired to rob a drug dealer after leading him to believe they wanted to make a transaction.

Aho had been at large for two years.

A man who told police he was going to kill himself in the basement of the home of a woman whom he had been stalking for months pleaded guilty Monday and was sentenced to a year in jail.

Ha Yang, 23, of 706 Water St., was ordered to serve 55 days of the sentence, the balance suspended with probation for a year, according to a plea agreement approved by Judge Arthur Haley. He must stay away from the victim and undergo a psychiatric evaluation and any counseling ordered by probation, according to the agreement accepted in Leominster District Court.

He pleaded guilty to charges of criminal harassment, stalking and breaking and entering in the nighttime to commit a felony.

Mr. Yang was arrested July 4 while police were investigating a report of a suspicious vehicle on South Street. After checking the vehicle’s plates, Officer Elvin Vasquez recognized Mr. Yang’s name from earlier reports from the victim that Mr.Yang had been stalking her. Police went to the woman’s home on a nearby street and found the basement door open and Mr. Yang sitting inside, where a noose was tied to a beam and a Bible and a note were nearby.

“I’m doing this 4 you,” Mr. Yang had written, addressing the woman by name, followed by “I love you!!!”

He left another note addressed to her by her car, according to court records. “My last and dying wish,” he wrote, “please go check your basement.” The note was accompanied by pictures of her with Mr. Yang.

According to police, the woman said she and Mr. Yang had been friends only, and had not been in a dating relationship.

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